After finishing optical rework in April 2013
(Figure 2), F2 stepped closer to its final round
of commissioning observations when it
was moved from the Gemini South summit
instrument lab onto port 5 of the Instrument Support Structure on June 11, 2013.
The first preliminary science queue data
were obtained July 19th, and regular queue
observations began in late September.
F2 began obtaining data in “shared-risk”
mode in August 2013 and between then and
mid-December has executed 15 queue programs. Despite this exciting milestone, challenges remained. One problem involved the
instrument’s On-Instrument Wavefront Sensor (OIWFS) used to optimize the delivered
image quality to the camera. During on-sky
checks on the night of August 24th, an alignment problem with the OIWFS became apparent. An inspection quickly followed, and
the mechanism was realigned as precisely as
possible with minimum intrusion (i.e., without moving other optical components).
PIs with programs in the 2013B queue were
informed of the possibility of reverting to
the use of PWFS2, and observations were
prepared for either option, allowing queue
observations to continue. An additional
problem was discovered with repeatability
of the Lyot wheel mechanism, but a solution
was identified and the problem resolved in
January2014
December. However, delivered image quality is a significant remaining issue, and is still
under active investigation.
These 2013B programs requested a total of
180 hours or 17 percent of the total available time on Gemini South, despite the
fact that only imaging and the long-slit
spectroscopy modes were offered in this
first semester. Work is ongoing to offer the
multi-object spectroscopy (MOS) mode later, after we gain more experience and time
with the instrument.
In parallel to the start of “shared-risk” science operations, and before the end of the
2013B semester, Gemini held an internal Operations Handover Review for F2. The review
took a close look at the performance and operability of F2 in its present state with respect
to the ultimate goal of
successfully operating,
maintaining, and supporting F2 as a facilityclass Gemini instrument,
and delivering the expected scientific return
to the Gemini community. The committee also
assessed the remaining
work going forward, including improving the
GeminiFocus
Figure 1.
FLAMINGOS-2 nearinfrared commissioning
image details part of
the magnificent Swan
Nebula (M17), where
ultraviolet radiation
streaming from young
hot stars sculpts a dense
region of dust and gas
into myriad fanciful
forms. M17 lies some
5,200 light-years distant
in the constellation
Sagittarius and is one of
the most massive and
luminous star-forming
regions in our Galaxy.
Field-of-view: 5.5 x 4.0
arcminutes.
Credit: Gemini
Observatory/AURA.
Figure 2.
Optical Engineer
Constanza Araujo works
on FLAMINGOS-2’s
optical alignment and
image quality testing
prior to cool-down.
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